Thank you, Chair. Chairperson, it really gladdens me to hear the Minister say that they are taking stock of all the dams that are not providing water to adjacent communities. The Moutse community is one such example. Even though they are about 15 kilometres from the mighty Loskop Dam, they can only watch helplessly as the water passes through to the far-off areas of Marble Hall and Groblersdal and goes to the gardens of the rich, while they drink from the wells and subject themselves to waterborne diseases. I hope Mr Matukane, who is from the department, is also listening, because he knows the area very well. He will be able to advise the Minister correctly.
When the vast majority of our people voted for the ANC, they did so consciously, saying: "Carry on with the good work of improving the quality of our lives." They did so despite deliberate disinformation, deceit and lies from those who want to cling to their past discriminatory "Swart gevaar" propaganda. [Applause.]
They said loudly, "Continue to ensure that South Africa belongs to all who live in it and who, equally, must enjoy its services", unlike in the past where the allocation of water rights was based on property ownership, in the clear knowledge that the majority of the people in this country do not even own one hectare of land.
Water is fundamental to life, as the Minister has already said. The human rights attached to water are indispensable for leading a healthy life in human dignity. Water is a prerequisite to the realisation of all other human rights. It is a scarce and unevenly distributed national resource that belongs to all our people. It is, therefore, difficult to quantify the cost of living without clean drinking water in terms of human suffering.
South Africa, like every other country on this continent, depends on its water resources to provide for its social and economic needs. Its scarcity and uneven distribution is, however, a limiting factor to the nation's economic production and growth.
Over the past 14 years, substantial progress has been made in providing universal access to water and sanitation in South Africa. Access to basic water infrastructure has increased from 59% in 1994 to 88% at the end of March 2008, and access to basic sanitation grew from 48% to 73%.
There are, however, several serious obstacles to securing water for growth and development in South Africa. And these include, among other things, invasive alien plant species which tend to use more water than the indigenous plants in that they displace and decrease the mean annual run- off. They generally impact negatively on the integrity and functioning of both terrestrial and aquatic systems, thereby reducing the productive use of land.
Climate change could also worsen the impact even further. It is an accepted threat to the sustainability of water supplies although this impact cannot be quantified yet, which complicates the proper planning required to ensure sufficient future water supplies.
Another major concern in this regard is land-use practices. This includes the use of unsuitable agricultural practices and the impact that these have on water security.
Another threat is the wild fires and badly planned firebreaks which run amok, the acceleration and intensity of which destroy habitat and life and also impact negatively on water security.
In addition, acid mine drainage from abandoned mines, especially in the central and western basins of the Witwatersrand mine systems, cause ground- water and surface water pollution.
The declining quality of water in rivers and dams as a result of pollution results in a lack of oxygen in the water. The continual pollution of rivers and streams and the unlawful spilling of raw sewerage in the Vaal River systems - whether by accident or on purpose - is a case in point. In this regard, one can fully understand why the famous French marine biologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau said that from personal experience water and air, the two essential elements on which all life depend, had become global garbage cans.
According to the World Resources Institute, at least 3,5 billion people, which is about half the world's population, will live in areas without water for agriculture, industry and human needs by the year 2025 - barely 15 years from now. It has also found that worldwide water quality conditions have degraded in almost all regions with intensive agriculture and in large urban and industrial areas.
Because of the discriminatory laws and practices of the past, most South Africans have not had equal access to water and the use of other resources. Our Constitution obliges us to ensure that everyone has the right of access to sufficient water. The ANC government has accepted this responsibility to ensure that the inequalities, with regard to access to the nation's water resources, are remedied.
The fundamental principle of our water-resource policy is the right to access clean water and security for all. Our policy recognises the economic value of water and the environment and advocates an economically, environmentally and politically sustainable approach to the management of our water resources and the collection, treatment and disposal of waste.
It has, therefore, in line with the objectives of equitable and sustainable social and economic development, progressively adopted a more comprehensive and holistic approach to the planning of interventions to resolve problems of inadequate water supply. This approach is in accordance with the requirements of national policies and legislation relating to the environment and is informed by international best practice.
The Water for Growth and Development framework was designed to take into account the relationship between water availability and many forms of economic activity, depending on the availability of water of specific levels of quality.
The framework, developed in 2008, aims to address specific challenges associated with water resource availability to enable projected economic growth and social service delivery programmes. It is, therefore, a planning programme to ensure continued water supply and represents the ANC government's commitment to water security for our people, the economy and the environment. It presents a comprehensive response to the challenges facing South Africa, bearing in mind that water is a scarce resource and that a different mindset is required for its use and conservation.
Rachel Carson once said: "In an age when man has forgotten his origins and is blind even to his most essential needs for survival, water along with other resources has become the victim of his indifference."
We must all be mindful of water-use behaviour that impacts negatively on water resource quantity and quality. It is the duty of each of us in this House to facilitate and encourage the most efficient use of water and to promote major behavioural and attitude changes towards water conservation.
I conclude with the words of St Francis of Assisi who described what water means to us as mortal human beings, when he said:
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Water; She is very useful and humble, precious and pure.
I thank you. [Applause.]